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Have you priced copper wire lately ?

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
WOW . Last time I checked 12/2 romex with ground was at $75 bucks plus for a 250' roll . Home depot had it at around $35 on Friday !!!! The clerk was telling me the price is falling faster than they can keep the correct price sticker on it ..

OH YEA!!!!!!
I'm going back to check copper piping too . I have a whole apartment to wire and plumb !!!! I'm grabbing this stuff while its way down !
 

The Tourist

Banned
Priced it? My good man, my Father invented copper wire.

He is well regarded as being the cheapest and most frugal man in modern history. He held onto money tighter than you can believe.

Someone once tried to pull a penny away from him...
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Al,

Consider using PEX (Wirsbo) tubing instead of copper. It's cheaper and easier to work with.

Just a suggestion.

PB
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
Al,

Consider using PEX (Wirsbo) tubing instead of copper. It's cheaper and easier to work with.

Just a suggestion.

PB

Good suggestion !! I been looking at it and also researched it a bit . My nieghbor just replumbed his house in it and like the ease of working with it . Seems like it might work better in super cold areas like where I live in Idaho too . Have you used it or can someone give me some "hands on" experience ??? I have free use of his PEX crippers too .
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Good suggestion !! I been looking at it and also researched it a bit . My nieghbor just replumbed his house in it and like the ease of working with it . Seems like it might work better in super cold areas like where I live in Idaho too . Have you used it or can someone give me some "hands on" experience ??? I have free use of his PEX crippers too .

I had my house re-plumbed with it 1.5 years ago. I watched the plumber work with it and it looked pretty easy to work with. A lot easier than copper.

The crimpers are the most expensive component so you are ahead of the game.

It has better insulating and freeze tolerating ratings than copper and PVC. It is time proven. Now that copper is so expensive it is crazy to not use it.
 

thcri

Gone But Not Forgotten
PEX is typically easier to work with. Material is typically more expensive than copper. But you can make it up with the labor on PEX being so much faster. PEX won't burst near as easy as copper. PEX eliminates any water slamming. PEX does give your water a different taste.
 

jwstewar

Active member
We had our house plumbed with it when we built it. We just moved in last May, but so far we like it. Haven't had any problems with it. The thing I like about it, there aren't any joints in the walls. Everything is a home run to a manifold system. Takes a little longer to get hot water that way, but not terribly long unless it is a really long run. It was the first time our build had built a house with it. The plumber had been bugging them to try it, but they were afraid to go away from the tried and true until someone came in requesting it. They liked the outcome. We traded copper plumbing and an 80 gallon water heater for PEX and a tankless Noritz water heater. So far, I'm happy with my trade.:clap:
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Murph - are you sure PEX is more expensive than copper? It wasn't when I had my house done.

Al - the manifold block idea is cool for new construction but it is not required. The manifold block will require more tubing as well. It's a neat idea but don't feel that you have to do it that way.
 

thcri

Gone But Not Forgotten
Murph - are you sure PEX is more expensive than copper? It wasn't when I had my house done.


Yes the material itself has always been more expensive. But the labor to put it in is less so when you ad in the material and labor they run about the same. We tell our customers to pick what they want as it is the same price. Been that way for a long time around here but more and more people are going with the PEX. When I built 6 years ago I stayed with copper.
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
we used pex - but no manifold block and haven't had any problems.you can also use "sharkbite" type connections and get away with not needing the crimper.
 
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